A course of lectures on preaching - Dabney - I - Preface; Lecture 1

Required reading
A course of lectures on preaching by RL Dabney (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Preface and Lecture 1 (Introductory).

My summary
Today we begin Dabney's work on preaching.

In the Preface Dabney gives us a quick overview of his own reading on rhetoric and his reasons for adding his book to the pile.

Then in Lecture 1 Dabney introduces the subject of rhetoric by:
(i) defending the learning of the art of rhetoric;
(ii) providing a brief outline of the history of preaching.

What grabbed me
I liked Dabney's reason for giving us a history of preaching: 'You will not suppose, young gentlemen, that I intend this perfunctory sketch as an intrusion into the field of history. My purpose is only to recall to your minds such an outline of facts as will prepare you to understand the preacher's warrant and function. This review even will convince you that the state of the pulpit may always be taken as an index of that of the Church. Whenever the pulpit is evangelical, the piety of the people is in some degree healthy; a perversion of the pulpit is surely followed by spiritual apostasy in the Church.'

Want to measure the health of a church?  Examine its preaching.

Next week's reading
Read Lecture 2 (The preacher's commission).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.